


Kingdom Come

by SiederTreeStudios



Series: Hollow Knight Works [1]
Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Hollow Knight Spoilers, Infected Knight (Hollow Knight), The Infection (Hollow Knight)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:54:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25834579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SiederTreeStudios/pseuds/SiederTreeStudios
Summary: What happens if you die in Steel Soul? What happens if you fail to contain the radiance? And is it really that much of a stretch to say that before the siblings, the Hollow Knight, and Ghost, there was no child of the King, no heir to the throne?Ghost is MIA, Hornet is struggling to keep the infection at bay, and a long forgotten heir returns to Hallownest for a small trip to see his mother...
Relationships: Herrah the Beast & Hornet (Hollow Knight), Herrah the Beast & The Pale King (Hollow Knight), Hornet & Quirrel (Hollow Knight), Hornet & The Knight (Hollow Knight), Hornet & The Pale King (Hollow Knight), OC and Hornet, Ogrim | Dung Defender & The Pale King, The Hollow Knight | Pure Vessel & The Pale King, The Pale King/White Lady (Hollow Knight)
Series: Hollow Knight Works [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1874539
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	1. Beginning Note

Hey all! Just wanted to give some background on the story.

So I wrote this as if the Knight died in Steel Soul mode, but other interpretations are available as well!

The Prince (You’ll find out his name in chapter 1!) was born before any of the other siblings, including Hornet (even though she is not a sibling, I’m using it as an umbrella term.) He doesn’t know anything about Hornet or the siblings.

Also! Quirrel never regained his memories of Monomon, as the Knight died before getting to her, so he’s here!

Thats all the info you need for now. I might delete this part later, but I’m putting it for now. Enjoy the story!


	2. A Useless Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Prince of Hallownest had long since been forgotten by most bugs. He had travelled away long ago. When he returns though, what has his kingdom come to?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fix definitely suits my writing style, I think. Semi-formal, lots of detail, depressing stuff, the whole charade! Needless to say, this will be fun.

The Prince had been gone for a long time.

The first thing you must know is that “Prince” is a bit of a derogatory term. The word “Prince” implies that someone is of a higher power or status, that they are set to inherit that power, often in the form of a kingdom. A Prince would live in a palace, and would learn how to manage that power, and when their parents die or fall, he would take their place. And the cycle would begin indefinitely, or at least until a kingdom or power met an end.

This was not entirely the case for the first child of the Pale King.

Yes, the _first._ The Pale King seemed to like the dollhouse set up, a Queen, a Kingdom, and a Heir with no purpose in tow. All that was missing was a princess really, and maybe a pet.

But let’s get back to the whole “heir with no purpose” part. Not only did the Pale King had a large lifespan, but he could be reborn as something else as soon as he died. As long as he rebirthed before he died, he would for all intensive purposes be immortal. Leaving the Pale Prince, the Heir, the light of the people of Hallownest...

Useless. Essentially, without purpose or meaning.

His father was always a distant person in his life. Scratch that— he was distant, but always busy, “protecting the Prince and his Kingdom.” Looking back, he regarded his ignorance with bitterness. The Pale King was a selfish man by Wyrm nature, he wanted to be worshipped, praised, adored. And well, nature was hard to erase, even with rebirth. He heavily doubted his father was protecting him, his father was more than likely protecting his popularity.

He didn’t even give the Prince a name.

His mother, the White Lady, and the only real parental figure in his life, gave the heir his true name, rather than the useless title his father addressed him by.

Pieris was the Prince’s name, though no one in Hallownest knew that except the White Lady and a few of his close friends. His father knew his name too, but he never used it.

Pieris sighed softly, looking out the window and at the small settlement that he had built for him and a few other travelers. They all spoke of wanting a great kingdom, of the Prince’s pale light drawing them to him, and called themselves followers. They worshipped him like a god, showered him in praise and food, and called him the true king.

And Pieris hated it.

He had never cared for power that he knew many envied. He knew he could be considered “enlightened,” or “a holy ground,” in a sense. He gave knowledge, and hope for a better future to bugs near him, erasing their barbaric nature and replacing it with morality, the ability to think and understand. The Prince knew how much his father loved that power, how he had taught Pieris to harness and dole it out to those deemed worthy of more knowledge. He had been sent out of the kingdom to cultivate his own kingdom, after all.

“It is a part of a Wyrm’s journey,” his father said, exchanging only a few words before his departure. “You will use your power wisely.”

“And you will not fail me.” Pieris swore he hear his father mutter as he walked away, back to his work as if his only son wasn’t leaving for good.

Pieris had learned how toxic his father was after leaving the kingdom, as experience taught him everything his father and mother did not. The rose colored glasses he hadn’t even realized were there were ripped away, and after talking about it to travelers far and wide, and gaining their advice and thoughts, he realized that his father was barely a father at all.

That didn’t stop him from longing to return to Hallownest, if not one last time. Not for his father, but much more so for his mother. She, being the softer and kinder of the two, was more of a parent than the King ever was. It was only because of her that Pieris learned to speak, to express himself, to feel less like a chess piece and more like a person.

So he bid his “followers” farewell, saying, “While I am gone, build up the settlement. Teach those that need to be taught, learn more about the world. I am sure you can impress me with what you’ve learned upon my arrival!” He said, watching his followers determined nods and cheers. 

Rather than follow his fathers depressing militaristic ways of running a kingdom, he preferred a more encouraging approach. He found that not only did it get results that his father couldn’t, but it also made him feel less like his father, and it made his people happier and more confident. In fact, when being addressed as a king by a young bug, he flat out denied the title.

“I am simply a teacher. I am no king, no god, and no mortal. I toe the line between.” He said, putting his hand on her head. “You’re not my followers, you are my students. And you will master and overcome.”

He waved to his homeland, biding them farewell. He prayed to any god that might be watching that they would stay safe.

And then he made his way through a familiar storm, back to the land he once ignorantly thought of as home, the land of which he was born. Hallownest would be on the horizon in a moon, and he would arrive to his mother, telling her of his travels.

—Line Break—

Pieris found himself standing at the beginning of Hallownest. The Howling Cliffs were what he was dreading most through his journey, his weary eyes tracing the path up the mountain. Something was... wrong. He couldn’t quite place it. There were bugs there, after all, just as normal. But they were... stagnant. Their eyes looked... orange? It caused his brow to furrow, his worry to grow slightly. He has not returned to Hallownest for 10 moons, after all. A lot can change in that time. 

Pieris shook off the feeling. Maybe the bugs of Hallownest developed orange tinted eyes? He doubted evolution worked that way, but he decided not to dwell on it, knowing his mother would likely have answers when he got to the palace. With that in mind, he began pressing forward and began to climb.

His arms had built up a bit in size since he had been to the kingdom, which he had only realized when he found himself struggling less as he grabbed ledges and swung himself up. His trusty Mantis Claw, given to him by the Mantis Lords after proving his strength, did also make the process much easier. He had more time to use it during his travels. Swinging up a fairly steep edge, he encountered his first bug.

Who immediately attacked.

The Vengefly was not considered a difficult enemy, in terms of combat skill. They were small, and easy to subdue. But it did manage to catch the Prince off guard, causing Pieris to switch into combat mode, adrenaline fueling him. He unsheathed his nail with a sharp _shhi_ _ ng _ , the pale ore making it glisten like diamonds, and cut down the Vengefly easily, causing it to spew an Orange puss. 

It was only after sheathing his nail that the Prince had taken in what he had done. He hadn’t even tried to reason with it, he just killed it! And it attacked him, why? What was this strange Orange puss, why were their eyes bright orange, unseeing, comatose? Dropping to his knees, the Prince picked up the dead Vengefly, a citizen of Hallownest like he had once been. The eyes faded from Orange to their normal dark color, but still unmoving. The fly was dead.

Orange puss seeped out of the wound.

Pieris went to touch it.

“Don’t.” A voice, cool and steely, reminding him so much of his father yet being so different, spoke.

The Prince looked up from his platform to see a firey red cloak, a needle, and the hard gaze of a stranger, yet a family member he couldn’t quite place.

“What business do you have here.” The stranger said, causing Pieris to flinch, not expecting the biting tone. Taking in a breath and drawing himself up, he looked up with his own guarded gaze, saying, “I am the Prince of Hallownest. I would like entry to my former home please.”

“A Prince? What proof do you have of such?” The stranger replied, looking as confused as can be, but still on the defensive and capable of attack.

Getting impatient, the Prince said, “May I please speak with my mother or my father, I must ask them what has happened in my absence.” 

“Prove your identity, and prove why I shouldn’t strike you down where you stand.” The stranger shot back, looked less convinced. The Prince sighed. There was no way to avoid it. As much as he hated it, he set down the body of the fly carefully, and then moved the neck part of his cloak down, revealing the Kings Brand on his chest. He had to travel alone to get it, his father saying something about proving his worth. He remembered the cold of the cliffs, the feeling of the brand burning onto his chest. He remebered waking up to his father, who regarded him coolly, then went back to work as usual, without any sort of congratulation to his son. And even so, he was still useless.

A useless journey for a useless Prince. It was almost poetic, in a bitter way.

The stranger stared at the mark in apparent shock. Then, quick as a flash, there was a needle at his throat and a short stranger with misplaced anger growling, “How the HELL did you get that.”

“I’m the Prince, damn it! Now can I PLEASE see my mother?!” He exclaimed in irritation. Something had happened, and he wasn’t in the loop, and Pieris didn’t have time to dwell on it.

“You can’t have, I’ve been guarding it since-“ The stranger cut herself off, lowering her needle slightly, her face indecisive. 

Seeming to make up her mind, she drew the needle back, sheathing it. “Come with me. I will take you to your mother. We will explain it all when we arrive.” She said, her voice even more cold. She eyed him suspiciously. “That is, if you are the Forgotten Heir.”

She turned, throwing her needle to the top and saying, “Meet you at the top. Don’t keep me waiting.” And then she was off, and Pieris found himself with even more questions, and not enough answers.

Just what had Hallownest come to?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pieris is actually derived from the scientific name for a white butterfly. It’s not the full name, but I figured that if Pieris was a bug, he’d be a white butterfly. Just figured I’d add that little tidbit for ya :)


End file.
